Blaze of Glory
by LifesPawn
Summary: The real reason Simon didn't stop during his "slow speed chase" involving the return of "Teased" boy Mick
1. A tortured mind

Since everyone else says this so will I- I do not own the 7th Heaven characters and played no part in creating them. They were created by Brenda Hampton. I will not profit from their use. And oh yes, imitation is the highest form of flattery.  
The following is an altered version of the "slow speed chase" story from Season 6. Maybe it makes more sense and maybe not.  
"Now's your chance! Grandpa has fallen asleep! Pull over!" shouted Ruthie.  
"Of course I'm going to pull over!" answered Simon. He had wanted to stop as soon as the first police cruiser flashed his lights at him, but Grandpa kept jamming his foot down on the accelerator and ordering him to keep going. He tried reasoning with Grandpa but he was adamant, insisting they weren't doing anything wrong. Simon loved his grandfather, but it was obvious he was starting to lose his mind. Now as he slowed down, Simon just hoped he would be able to explain the situation to the cops.  
As he slowed to a jogging pace, a very young man ran alongside the car. He opened the door and jumped into the back seat, jostling Ruthie and the twins to the side.  
"Excuse me!" huffed Ruthie.  
"Keep driving!" The young man ordered. When Simon hesitated, the young man brandished a shiny revolver. "Do as I say or I'll use this!"  
"Look man, I'm in enough trouble already. Why don't you just take my money and leave us alone?"  
The young man stared at Simon. " Don't you remember me, Simon? We were friends at one time." Simon glanced over his shoulder and a look of recognition crossed his face.  
"Oh it's you, Mick. I'm surprised you got out of jail so soon."  
"Yeah, well I just told them all of the things they wanted to hear. I'm not angry anymore, I don't want to hurt anyone, bringing the gun to school was a stupid mistake. They bought it, and I'm out on probation."  
Simon gestured towards Mick's piece. "Well obviously that was all a lie! Who are you thinking of shooting now? And what do you need us for?"  
"I saw you driving on TV and I saw the perfect opportunity. You've got cameras following you everywhere. Now I'll get the publicity I need!"  
"For what?" asked Simon, exasperated.  
"People have to learn. If you push us around too much there will be payback. You'll end up dead!"  
"Dude, that's not going to work. Other kids have done the same thing and people are still getting teased. It's human nature- you can't stop it!"  
"You don't understand what it's like for me!" Mick began to raise his voice. "I can't ignore things the way most people can. The smallest things hurt me right to the core. And they don't care! How can someone enjoy someone else's pain like that?"  
"It's how you react, man," Simon answered, trying to use a calm tone, " I heard what they called you and it's just lame. Everybody gets dished out the same stupid stuff, but it's the way you flip out about it that keeps them coming back. I know you've heard this before, but just ignore them and they'll go away."  
"No, there's only one way to get people to listen." He paused, then with a lower voice," People listen to the Camdens in this town. That's what I need you for. People will listen and people will remember- when everyone in this car is killed. On live TV."  
Simon and Ruthie's jaws dropped and looked at each other in wide-eyed fear.  
  
To be continued... 


	2. Empathy

Lieutenant O'Reilly followed the mysterious white car in his police cruiser, leading a trio of police cars in a chase that had gone on for several miles so far.  
"Jim, what's your situation?" the radio crackled.  
"He's still not stopping, and it looks like he's picked up a new passenger. He is now traveling at five-zero miles per hour, and braking erratically. Permission to disable the vehicle?"  
"Do what you have to, Jim," the radio answered.  
Jim O'Reilly was about to call to his support units and tell them to cut off the fleeing vehicle. But he noticed something strange about the car's braking. It almost seemed like a pattern. He watched the blinking taillights for a moment and realized- it was Morse code! He squinted as he decyphered the mesage "He-has-a-gun. Will-kill-us-if-we-stop."  
The lieutenant picked up the radio and called on the general frequency "We have a hostage situation here. All units stay well back. . . "  
***  
"What the heck are you doing, man?" Mick asked incredulously as Simon kept tapping his brake pedal.  
"I'm new at this, okay? I just got my learner's permit today!" Simon grumbled. "So what's your plan? You're just going to make me drive all over town until more cameras show up, then kill us all?"  
"Something like that. Your father, the great Reverend Camden, will beg people to stop the cruelty on behalf of his deceased loved ones. And people will listen! No one cares about me, but they all care about the Camdens. Things are definitely going to change!"  
Up until now Ruthie had listened with fear and disbelief as this stranger forced his way into the car and made threats against all of their lives. He was angry about being teased, obviously. But what could she do to make him less angry? How could she change his mind about killing all of them? She thought for a moment, then nervously spoke up.  
"Mick, you know it hurts me too when I get teased. A few months ago someone found out about my 'Snookie' nickname and told everyone. All day I was hearing, 'Hey Snookie-ookie, steal me a cookie!' and 'Is that guy Robbie your boy-friend?' It was so annoying! In fact-"she took a deep breath, "I wanted to kill them all. Seriously, if we had a gun in the house I would have blown them away." Simon turned and looked at Ruthie with surprise. She quickly whispered in Simon's ear, "Play along!"  
A trace of a smile crossed Mick's lips. "No shit?"  
"Oh yes! I was that mad! But then I remembered that famous saying ' I will never let a man drag me down so low as to make me hit him' -or hurt him or something. I realized that if I acted out with violence I would be no better than those jerks- worse, even! So what do you say?" Ruthie nervously reached over and touched Mick's arm. "Why don't you put the gun away and let us go? We care about you, Mick, and we don't want you to ruin your life."  
Hesitantly Simon joined in. "Uh, yeah man, you're cool with us. The whole fam!"  
Mick's mouth worked silently for a moment, thinking. "No," he said finally. Then in a rising crescendo, "No, no, NO!" as he shook off Ruthie's hand and pounded the seat.  
"I'm sorry, but I've made up my mind." Mick gestured with the pistol to a sign for an exit ramp. "There's an unfinished overpass right after that next exit. When I tell you to, punch the gas and don't stop until we go over the edge. It's 80 feet down. The gas tank will blow, and- that'll be it for us."  
Despite the firearm pointed in his direction Simon became very angry. "Like hell I'm going to do that! I'm not going to kill my grandfather, sister and 3 year old brothers just for your stupid 'message'! What did they ever do to you? Look at them, man!" And with that yanked Mick's hair to turn his head toward the twin boys sitting next to him. They were staring out the rear window with their mouths open, admiring the flashing blue lights. "You're really going to kill them? And Ruthie, and Grandpa?" Ruthie was now hugging her knees to her stomach, fighting the nausea caused by her intense fear. Grandpa lolled against the front passenger window, still dozing peacefully. "And me? I stood up for you! Look at the people you say you're going to kill. We're people, not just some abstract idea! Think about what you're doing!"  
Mick glanced at each of the car's occupants blankly, then turned back to Simon with icy resolve. "Punch it!" he said.  
To be continued . . . 


	3. No Choice

Lieutenant O'Reilly's gut wrenched with fear as he saw the white car veering towards the closed exit ramp. "Oh shit!" he said to himself. Then he called into the radio, "All units! We have to cut them off now!"  
"Jim, are you sure?" answered one of the other pursuing units. "What about the gunman?"  
"If they're headed in that direction, it's obvious that escape isn't his plan. All units move to intercept!"  
With that order, the four pursuing police cruisers roared to life as they raced to overtake the mysterious white car that wouldn't stop.  
***  
"They're gaining!" yelled Mick frantically. "Hurry up, or I'll do it myself!"  
Simon half turned towards the back seat. "You leave me no choice," Simon murmered. Suddenly, Simon lunged forward with both hands and grabbed Mick's gunhand, forcing it up to the ceiling. Simon toppled into the backseat and continued slamming the gun against the ceiling, trying to knock it out of Mick's grasp. The two young men flailed and kicked, jamming their knees into each other's stomachs. The twins and Ruthie jumped out of their seats to avoid being crushed by the two older boys. The gun whipped around and slammed against the doors and windows as Simon continued to try to disarm him. Mick held on fiercely with a two-handed grip, growling.  
The car swerved as it continued forward, driverless. Ruthie leaned over the driver's seat and stretched forward, just reaching the steering wheel. She pulled herself over the top and fell face first into the driver's seat. Ruthie straightened up and saw a pair of police cruisers parked dead ahead, blocking the way to the incomplete overpass just beyond them. She squealed, then scrunched underneath the dashboard and jammed down the brake pedal with both feet. The car violently screeched to a stop just in front of the blockade.  
Simon and Mick tumbled to the floor. The gun went off with a loud pop and then escaped Mick's hands, sliding under Grandpa's seat. The noise awoke Grandpa and he looked around, bewildered.  
"What the hell are you doing back there, Simon? Why is Ruthie driving?"  
"Grandpa, get the gun!" Simon gasped. "It's right under you!"  
"Nooo!" Mick howled, flailing maniacally as he tried to get out from under Simon.  
Grandpa saw the revolver at his feet. He casually picked it up and studied it for a moment. Then he gave a little chuckle, turned around and fired it into Mick's astonished face. But the only injury caused by the gunshot was a small, sooty burn on his forehead. "Son, I've been in the military for half of my life, and if there's one thing I know it's firearms. This pistol isn't real, it's a blank-firing replica. Now get up, stranger. Real slow, or I'll hit you with this thing."  
Mick did as he was told. Simon sat up and smiled gratefully at Grandpa, then turned to Mick. " You held us up with a fake gun?"  
"After I got out of jail my parents locked up all of their guns. This is all I could get my hands on," Mick said sullenly.  
"So the only way you could kill me and my family was to order me to drive off of a ledge?" Simon demanded. Mick said nothing, staring down dejectedly. "You make me sick!"  
"There's no need for that," said Grandpa, "He won't be able to hurt us anymore." Grandpa leaned out of the passenger window and shouted to the surrounding police cars, "We're okay!"  
***  
And so it was that when Reverend Camden pulled up, he saw his son spread-eagled on the ground alongside Grandpa (merely as a precaution), Ruthie, Sam and David standing nearby with their hands in the air unnecessarily, and a vaguely familiar boy being led into a police cruiser in handcuffs. Simon looked up and grinned sheepishly. "Hi Dad. Does this mean I'm grounded?"  
The End  
That was my first Fanfic and also the first short story that I've written in a few years. I hope you enjoyed it! 


End file.
